Coach unlikely to change Berba's mind

24 September 2010 10:19
ew Bulgaria coach Lothar Matthaus is facing an uphill battle to persuade Dimitar Berbatov to return to the international fold.[LNB] The Manchester United striker announced his retirement this summer, having achieved his ambition to break the Bulgarian national goalscoring record.[LNB]United certainly seem to be benefiting from the decision, with Berbatov having scored seven times this season in all competitions, including his brilliant hat-trick against Liverpool last weekend.[LNB]However, Matthaus is keen to speak with the 29-year-old after being confirmed as Bulgaria's new coach following their dismal start to their Euro 2012 qualification campaign.[LNB]A heavy defeat to England at Wembley, followed by a surprise home loss to Montenegro in Sofia earlier this month has left Bulgaria struggling to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine already.[LNB]While Matthaus believes Berbatov could provide the springboard for an improvement, the player himself appears happy with his decision.[LNB]"I promised to myself when I was nearly 30, if I didn't do anything with the national team it would be best to retire and give chances to younger players," Berbatov told MUTV.[LNB]"I wanted to let them see what it is to have the national team on your shoulder."[LNB]As Berbatov's words were delivered before Matthaus' appointment, they cannot be taken as a definitive statement.[LNB]Yet, having reached the 48-goal mark against Malta last season it is difficult to see what else he can realistically achieve for a country who have not reached the finals of a major competition since Euro 2004.[LNB]"I wanted to reach the record before I retired," he said. "It was a goal I had in front of me but it was difficult.[LNB]"I tried not to think about it too much because if you want to score every game, you are going to have a problem.[LNB]"When I did break the record it was one of my proudest days."

Source: Team_Talk